Cy Schoenfeld

Stimulation of Ejaculated Human Spermatozoa by Caffeine

Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethyl-2, 6-dioxypurine), a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor, increased the motility of ejaculated human spermatozoa. Both the percent motility and the grade of forward progression were significantly increased (P smaller than 0.001) and maintained in the presence of 6 mM of caffeine for up to five hours at 37 C. Increases in percent motility greater than two-fold occurred among the groups having low initial motility. Increases in samples with a high initial percent motility (greater than 60%) were not as dramatic, but they were still significant. In addition, the grade of motility or forward progression was increased in all groups up to one full unit. The longevity of the spermatozoa, judged by activity, was also increased for up to five hours.

Semen analysis: An office technique

Semen analysis can be performed in the physicians office. An outline is provided of the technique used in our urologic office-laboratory for semen analysis.

Prolactin, fructose, and zinc levels found in human seminal plasma.

Fructose, zinc, and prolactin determinations were performed on the seminal plasma of normospermic (n = 30), oligospermic (n = 30), and azoospermic (n = 30) men to determine whether there was a correlation between any of these substances and seminal quality. None of these azoospermic men had congenital bilateral absence of the vasa, but in a separate group of such men (n = 10) these same studies were performed. Fructose was determined photometrically, zinc by atomic absorption, and prolactin by radioimmunoassay. Zinc and fructose levels in all three groups showed no statistical differences. Prolactin was found to be significantly higher in the seminal plasma of normospermic men than was found in the seminal plasma of oligospermic or azoospermic men. In men with congenital bilateral absence of the vasa and seminal vesicles, zinc was elevated, fructose was absent, and prolactin was markedly depressed.

RELAXIN IN HUMAN SEMINAL PLASMA

While relaxin is known as a hormone of pregnant females, it has been identified in rooster l and boar testes.g A recent report described immunoreactive relaxin in human seminal p l a ~ m a . ~ Relaxin is a structural homologue of insulin and other growth factors.* Epidermal growth factor and nerve growth factor are found in secretions of male salivary glands and the genitourinary Seminal plasma is rich in proteins and contains other peptide hormones, including growth hormone,8 p ro la~ t in ,~ and insulin.10 In this report, we characterize the immunoreactive relaxin-like substance in seminal plasma as bioactive relaxin and determine its source of production.

Circulating Sperm-Agglutinating Antibodies in Azoospermic Men with Congenital Bilateral Absence of the Vasa Deferentia *

Congenital bilateral absence of the vasa deferentia has been found to be the cause for azoospermia in 101 patients who have been examined in our urologic practice since 1956. This represents approximately 2% of the 5112 patients seen during that time because of problems relating to infertility. Of these 101 men, 29 have had their sera tested for the presence of circulating sperm-agglutinating antibodies. The Shulman15 modification of the macroscopic gelatin sperm-agglutination test of Kibrick et al6 was used. None of these patients had had testicular biopsy. Significantly high titers (1:32 or greater) of antibodies were found in 18 (62.1%) men, low titers (1:16 or less) in five (17.2%), and no antibodies in six (20.7%).

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone, and Testosterone Levels Found in Human Seminal Plasma*

Radioimmunoassays were performed on the seminal plasma of normospermic, oligospermic, and azoospermic men to determine the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone. FSH levels in the seminal plasma of all three groups were found to be similar to the levels normally found in blood serum. LH levels in the seminal plasma of azoospermic and oligospermic men were within the normal range found in blood serum but were elevated in the normospermic samples. Testosterone levels in the seminal plasma of all three groups tested were considerably lower than the normal range found in blood serum.

Clinical Experience With Sperm Antibody Testing

Of the 724 patients examined for circulating spermagglutinating antibodies by the Kibrick spermagglutination test, 95 (13.1%) were found to be positive. Almost 20% of the 406 male patients demonstrated autoantibodies. This high incidence may be explained by the selected population studied. Of 50 males tested who demonstrated more than 10% agglutination in their semen, but otherwise were normospermic, 42% demonstrated autoantibodies. Of the 318 females examined, 14 (4.4%) demonstrated sperm-agglutinating antibodies. Of the 315 male and female patients examined for circulating sperm-immobilizing antibodies by the Isojima sperm-immobilization test, 14 (4.5%) were found to have antibodies. Of the 162 males treated, 10 (6%) were positive for antibodies by this technique, as were 4 (3%) of the 153 women tested.

Partial purification of relaxin from human seminal plasma

Human seminal plasma contains approximately 50 ng/ml of relaxin (specific activity = 1.3 ng/mg protein). During preliminary purification, semen plasma was delipidated, rehydrated, and loaded onto small octadecyl silica columns that were eluted with a TEAF/acetonitrile gradient system. Results were monitored by radioimmunoassay. The resultant partially purified human relaxin demonstrated biologic activity in the rat uterine segment bioassay. Nine liters of semen plasma was delipidated, rehydrated in TEAF, and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography by a step gradient followed by a linear gradient. The active eluate was further purified by ion exchange chromatography. Pooled recovery fractions provided a total of 45.8 micrograms of relaxin. An aliquot flash evaporated and desalted by gel filtration chromatography provided 1.85 micrograms of relaxin in 25.2 mg protein, specific activity 73.4. This material is being used as immunogen in the production of antihuman relaxin antibodies by monoclonal technique. Our procedure represents the first and only successful partial purification of human relaxin to yield sufficient quantity and purity for antibody production.

Evaluation of a New Silastic Seminal Fluid Collection Device

A new Silastic seminal fluid collection device has been tested and compared in vitro with glass jars, latex condoms, and the Milex polyethylene sheath. In a series of tests utilizing 50 different semen samples and observing the effects on motility over a period of 4 hours, the Silastic seminal fluid collection device demonstrated sperm survival slightly better than that with glass jars, superior to that with the polyethylene Milex sheath, and far greater survival (by several hours) than with the latex condom. The Silastic collection device was found to be more comfortable and more pleasurable to the patients than was the Milex sheath. The accuracy of seminal volume measurements was also found to be better in the Silastic collection device.

Successful Management of Infertility due to Polyzoospermia

Polyzoospermia is a rare cause of male infertility. In our clinical practice, patients with exceedingly high sperm counts (ranging from 650 million/ml to 1.75 billion/ml) have invariably been found to have associated poor sperm motility and poor sperm migration in postcoital tests, although the sperm appear morphologically normal. Cases of two infertile couples are presented in which each husband had sperm counts greater than 1 billion/ml. Two methods are reported for the successful management of their infertility problems: (1) precoital dilutional douching and (2) in vitro seminal fluid dilution with 5% dextrose-Ringers lactate solution and artificial insemination homologous. Each method resulted in improved sperm motility, postcoital tests, and pregnancy.